The best beers brewed on the African continent are judged at the African Beer Cup.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
The 2026 edition of the African Beer Cup saw a total of 89 medals awarded across the competition’s categories. Categories range from classic international styles to modern craft beer styles. But unique to the African Beer Cup—and evidence that creative breweries exist everywhere—there are categories that are distinctly African, including beers featuring traditional African brewing grains, beers showcasing South African hops, and fruit flavoured beers, a growing trend catering to a sweeter palate unique to the African continent.
The awards have existed since 2019. Entry in the competition is limited to beers brewed on the African continent or its associated islands. The winners of the African Beer Cup were announced on May 23, 2026 at BeerEx Africa, a South African beer conference and trade show, which included a keynote address by John Holl, a prominent American beer journalist, reflecting that much of the world’s craft beer industry takes inspiration from what is happening in the United States.
Each beer entered in the African Beer Cup is evaluated twice, each time by two separate panels of expert judges. 58 judges from a dozen countries comprise those judging panels.
What The African Beer Cup Says About Craft Beer
Like other beer competitions, entries in the African Beer Cup reflect what is happening in the broader beer industry. In the United States, industry watchers analyze entries in the Great American Beer Festival, and globally, entries the World Beer Cup are scrutinized to glean trends in beer styles and the health of the craft beer industry.
Lucy Corne, co-founder and competition director of the African Beer Cup said in a video interview that she was surprised by the number of entries into the 2026 competition. “I was expecting entries to be down this year, because, you know, everyone’s kind of struggling,” said Corne. “But I was expecting just over 200 entries this year, and we got 244 in the end. So it was a really nice surprise. For me, this is a sign that perhaps the scene is gonna start recovering. It was really kind of heartening to see that.”
While the competition remains small by global standards—the 2026 World Beer Cup received over 8,000 entries and even the 2025 Canada Beer Cup received almost 2,000 entries—the African Beer Cup does reflect a continent-wide interest in good beer. While the competition is relatively small, judging standard by the global panel remains high—some categories did not award all three medals.
Ingredients that are considered novel in the United States, such as fonio, are considered traditional in African countries, so the beer categories reflect Africa’s unique brewing history. While many African breweries do emulate classic European and modern craft beer styles, many breweries are making uniquely African beers.
“We received more entries than ever in the categories that celebrate African ingredients, which shows that African brewers are forging their own beer identity,” said Corne in a press release. The African Beer Cup has several categories restricted to African ingredients and also awards the African Celebration Award which goes to the highest scoring beer that champions the use of African ingredients.
The Winners Of The 2026 African Beer Cup
2026 Best Beer in Africa
Woodstock Brewery Funky Monk’s (South Africa)
Winner of the BASA African Celebration Award
Soul Barrel Brewing Live Culture (South Africa)
Non-Alcoholic Beer
GOLD: Darling Brew Cape Chameleon (South Africa)
SILVER: Heineken 0.0 Sedibeng Brewery (South Africa)
BRONZE: Darling Brew Cape Fox (South Africa)
Mead
GOLD: Cape Town Meadery Indicator Sweet Mead (South Africa)
SILVER: Cape Town Meadery Indicator Gluhwein Mead (South Africa)
BRONZE: Cape Town Meadery Bee Bliss (South Africa)
Fruit Flavoured Beers
GOLD: Heritage Brewing Co Tropical Fandango (Ghana)
SILVER: ABInBev Africa Newlands Brewery Flying Fish Pressed Lemon (South Africa)
BRONZE: Heritage Brewing Co Mango Tropical Ale (Ghana)
Standard American Beer
SILVER: Jack Black’s Brewing Company Lite Lager (South Africa)
BRONZE: Barrington’s Brewery Barrington’s Light (South Africa)
International Lager
GOLD: Small House Brewery Long Neck Lager (Zimbabwe)
SILVER: ABInBev Africa eSwatini Brewery Sibebe Premium Lager (eSwatini)
BRONZE: ABInBev Africa Maluti Brewery Maluti Premium Lager (Lesotho)
Czech Lager
BRONZE: Brewhogs Brewhogs Premium Pilsner (South Africa)
Pale Malty European Lager
SILVER: Harper Brewing Co 4th Floor Premium Lager (South Africa)
BRONZE: Jack Black’s Brewing Company Brewers Lager (South Africa)
Pale Bitter European Beer
GOLD: Roof of Africa Craft Brewery Roof Draught (Namibia)
SILVER: Woodstock Brewery Happy Pills (South Africa)
BRONZE: Shackleton Brewing Company Shackleton Kölsch (South Africa)
Amber Malty European Lager
SILVER: Richmond Hill Brewing Company in collaboration with Tom du Toit Velvet Doppelbock (South Africa)
Amber Bitter European Beer
SILVER: Roof of Africa Craft Brewery Roof Dark Lager (Namibia)
Dark European Lager
GOLD: Crafty Dee’s Brewing Company Dark Lager (Tanzania)
BRONZE: Newlands Spring Brewing Company Dunkel (South Africa)
Strong European Beer
SILVER: Doctrine Brewing Twisted Talisman (South Africa)
German Wheat Beer
SILVER: Jack Black’s Brewing Company Atlantic Weiss (South Africa)
BRONZE: Triggerfish Brewing Great Weiss (South Africa)
British Bitter
SILVER: Barrington’s Brewery The Newdigate (South Africa)
BRONZE: Okavango Brewing Company Panhandle Pale Ale (Botswana)
Pale Commonwealth Beer
SILVER: Jack Black’s Brewing Company Cape Pale Ale (South Africa)
BRONZE: The Valley Brewery South Beer Pale Ale (South Africa)
Brown British Bitter
SILVER: Darling Brew Break Free Red Ale (South Africa)
BRONZE: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Pirate Porter (South Africa)
Irish Beer
SILVER: The Valley Brewery & Flatrock Kak Lekker Ale (South Africa)
BRONZE: Richmond Hill Brewing Company Two Rand Man (South Africa)
Dark British Beer
SILVER: Starke Brews Black Rhino Stout (South Africa)
BRONZE: Signal Hill Products Striped Horse Milk Stout (South Africa)
Strong British Ale
BRONZE: Phoenix Beverages Manawa Triple Malt (Mauritius)
American Pale Ale
SILVER: Starke Brews Trail Builders Brew (South Africa)
BRONZE: That Brewing Co That APA (South Africa)
Hazy Pale Ale
GOLD: Starke Brews Nectaron Hazy Pale Ale (South Africa)
SILVER: Starke Brews Nelson Sauvin & Riwaka Hazy Pale Ale (South Africa)
BRONZE: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Obviously A Hazy Pale Ale (South Africa)
Amber and Brown American Beer
GOLD: The Valley Brewery South Beer Brown Ale (South Africa)
SILVER: Barrington’s Brewery Punch’s APA (South Africa)
BRONZE: Starke Brews Autumn Amber (South Africa)
American Porter and Stout
SILVER: 254 Brewing Company Dark Matter (Kenya)
American IPA
GOLD: Woodstock Brewery Californicator (South Africa)
SILVER: Phoenix Beverages Manawa IPA (Mauritius)
BRONZE: Starke Brews Chainbreaker IPA (South Africa)
Specialty IPA
SILVER: Richmond Hill Brewing Company Fever Dream (South Africa)
BRONZE: Starke Brews Cryo POP IPA (South Africa)
Hazy IPA
GOLD: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Superdellic (South Africa)
SILVER: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Better Judgement (South Africa)
BRONZE: Starke Brews x Dark Arts Beer Project x Feral Brew Our City Hazy IPA (South Africa)
Session IPA
SILVER: Okavango Brewing Company Kingfisher Session IPA (Botswana)
Strong American Ale
BRONZE: Darling Brew Warlord (South Africa)
European Sour Ale
GOLD: Soul Barrel Brewing Ale of Origin (South Africa)
Belgian Ale
SILVER: Newlands Spring Brewing Company Passionate Blond (South Africa)
BRONZE: Crafty Dee’s Brewing Company Wheat Beer (Tanzania)
Strong Belgian Ale
GOLD: The Franschhoek Beer Co La Saison (South Africa)
SILVER: Specialty Beers (Ghana) Ltd. Tale Lemongrass (Ghana)
Monastic Ale
SILVER: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company x Capital Craft Beer Academy The Beer That Stole Christmas (South Africa)
BRONZE: Triggerfish Brewing Crazy Diamond (South Africa)
Historical Beer
SILVER: Crafty Dee’s Brewing Company Pilsner (Tanzania)
BRONZE: Richmond Hill Brewing Company Twin Fin Kellerbier (South Africa)
American Wild Ale
GOLD: Woodstock Brewery Funky Monk’s (South Africa)
SILVER: Soul Barrel Brewing Ale of Origin (South Africa)
BRONZE: Soul Barrel Brewing Live Culture (South Africa)
Fruit Beer
GOLD: Woodstock Brewery Sweet Mary Jane (2026) (South Africa)
SILVER: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company x Starke Brews Chenin Saison (South Africa)
BRONZE: Richmond Hill Brewing Company x Hazeldean Brewing Company Two Moods: Mood I (2026) (South Africa)
Spiced Beer
SILVER: Specialty Beers (Ghana) Ltd. Tale Ginger (Ghana)
BRONZE: Richmond Hill Brewing Company November Child Chamomile
Saison (South Africa)
Alternative Fermentables Beer
GOLD: Specialty Beers (Ghana) Ltd. Tale Cocoa (Ghana)
BRONZE: Maison KALAO KARAPID (Senegal)
Wood Beer
SILVER: Woodstock Brewery Sugarman (2025) (South Africa)
BRONZE: Barrington’s Brewery The Wreck (South Africa)
Specialty Beer
GOLD: Soul Barrel Brewing East India Pale (South Africa)
SILVER: OC Brewery and Yeti Under Ground Movement with Bearded Brew Big Red Nitro Ale (South Africa)
BRONZE: Richmond Hill Brewing Company x Yeastern Cape Home Brew Club Unaminous Hoppy Red Lager (South Africa)
Hoppy Lager
SILVER: Candy Cane Project Candy Cane Hoppy Lager (South Africa)
Dessert or Pastry Beer
SILVER: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Grootslang V3 (South Africa)
BRONZE: Triggerfish Brewing Monsterfish (South Africa)
International Styles
SILVER: Afro Caribbean Brewing Company Wife of Cam (South Africa)
BRONZE: Starke Brews x Afro Caribbean Brewing Co Chenin Saison 2026 (South Africa)
African Speciality Beer
GOLD: Soul Barrel Brewing Live Culture (South Africa)
SILVER: Okavango Brewing Company Matriarch Amber Ale (Botswana)
BRONZE: Soul Barrel Brewing x Tolokazi Brewing Wild African Soul (South
Africa)
The African Beer Cup is held annually.